King of Chaos Forest
by windwhisprer
Summary: [oneshot] What does it take for a Prince to become a King?


**A/N:**Woot! Second Arc the Lad fic! (does a dance) Anyway, this is pretty much about Maru, and what he goes through to become King of Chaos forest. xD Anyway, I figured I'd do a one shot on it, since they don't explain it in the game. Anyway, Maru is one of my favorite characters, he's up there with Darc and Bebedora. (How does that work? o.O) Anyway, please enjoy. Oh, and Chrno Crusade fans will laugh at me later on. xD I'm sorry! I'm bad with names!

**King of Chaos Forest**

She was upset the day she heard, and he couldn't blame her. The girl was only a child, and was not ready for such news. Then again, neither was he. He was slightly disturbed by it, but too concerned for her to really notice. He had followed her outside, and went to the first place he could think of. It was their place. Their secret place.

He found her sitting alone under a small tree, her feet dipped into the water and a small frown on her face. Slowly, he walked over to her and took a seat next to her. They sat in silence. "Hey," he said after a long time. "You okay?"

The six-year-old turned to look at him, teary eyed. "No I'm not okay Yumalnoh!" she exclaimed. "We have to get married! It's... it's..."

"Kind of funny," the brown haired boy finished for her as he turned to gaze up at the sky.

She turned to glare at him. "No it's not."

Yumalnoh sighed. "Look Foh, it can't be that bad." He said, before shooting her a grin. "We're cousins after all. It'll be fun."

"_Fun!"_ Foh was appaled. "Have you lost your mind? I don't want to marry you! You're... you're my cousin!"

Yumalnoh smiled, as he kicked the water around without a care in the world. "Here's the deal then. When we get older, we wont listen to our parents."

Foh frowned, staring at him.

"When we're old enough to marry, we'll tell them that we want to do it our own way! Then they'll have to listen to us!" the six-year-old said with a nod.

She frowned further. 'Why would they listen to us?"

"Because by then I'll be King. They have to listen to the King right?"

Foh took a moment, letting the boy's logic sink in. "Hey, yeah! That'll work!" she exclaimed, nodding her head furiously. "We won't have to get married then!" He simply grinned at his own brilliance. She couldn't help but crack a smile in return. "Thanks Yumalnoh."

---

The young prince entered palace, and crossed down towards the royal quarters. That was strange. It was very quiet. And there was no one lined up for fortune telling today. Frowning, the young boy proceeded further into the castle. He stepped into his parents' room with a grin. "Mom! Dad! Since there's no one here for fortune telling we should go fishing or..." the boy trailed off as he entered the room, finding it bare. Save for several pools of red liquid.

Confused, the boy followed the trails over towards the dining room.

His knees shook, and his eyes went wide as soon as he entered the room. Sparwled out on the floor, were his parents. Stone. Cold. Dead. Standing over them was his uncle Rinute. His hands were stained with blood, and he was looking menicingly over at Foh and Rosanna who were huddled terrified in a corner.

"Yumalnoh! Run!" Screeted his aunt.

Yumalnoh turned from his uncle, to his parents, to Foh and Rosanna. He was no idea what to do, his legs simply wouldn't move. It was then Rinute flipped aroumnd, and cupped his hand over his mouth, pointing the end of a very sharp dagger to his neck. Immedietly, Yumalnoh was terrified.

"I will be King..." breathed Rinute. There was no sanity to his tone anymore. "If I kill the prince, I will be King..."

Down the hall, sounds of guards moved in. Cursing, Rinute grabbed Yumalnoh and turned, bolting from the room. Somewhere along the line, Yumalnoh was knocked unconscious, and could nothing to save himself.

---

It was late when Yumalnoh regained consciousness. He didn't move at first, but groaned at the pain in the back of his head. He couldn't smell the familiar smell of salt water, which confused the boy. Slowly, he sat up, and gazed around with half lidded eyes.

He was seated at a campfire. It was very dark out, by what he could tell, the sun had been down for hours. Looking across the fire, he spotted his uncle, his insanity increased by the firelight. Instantly, the frightened boy scurried away from him.

"Now now my Prince," He said with a slight twinkle to his eye. "I won't hurt you. No... We're going away. For a little vacation. Then My Prince, when we get back to Milmarna, you will proclaim me the new King. Then you will die."

Anger suddenly replaced fear. He ground his teeth. This man killed his parents, and now he wants to be King? "I won't!" Yumalnoh shouted, scrambled to his feet, and tried to run off into the woods.

But before he could get far, his uncle tackled him to the ground, trying to hold the kid down as he tried to free himself. "You're not going anywhere!" Rinute shouted. "I will be King! I will be King!"

Yumalnoh grabbed the closest thing to him, which happened to be a rock, and slammed it back at Rinute. The man gave out a loud, shrill cry of pain. As Yumalnoh looked back to see what he had done, he found the rock jabbed into Rinute's eye, blood pouring from the wound.

Yumalnoh looked at it horrified, his feet frozen in fear. But common sense overwhelmed his fear and he scrambled to his feet, before tearing off into the forest. "Go!" he heard his uncle yell. "The monsters will devour you by daybreak!"

By daybreak, Yumalnoh was huddled up in a tree, terrified. He had no idea where he was or how he could get home. He had found some people who were crossing the woods, and he had scrambled to them, begging, pleading if they knew the way back to Milmarna. They had replied they didn't, but the couple offered to help Yumalnoh find his way home.

The two girls went by the name of Rosette and Azmaria. They bought him new clothes, and a bow and arrow kit, and they nicnamed him Maru, for every time he told them his name they continued to forget it. They also took him on a boat across the ocean, determined to find his home.

"Azmaria, I'm hungry," The boy whinned several weeks after their meeting. They were in a very wooded area, but the heat was very intense.

"Yes, I know," Azmaria replied, her long hair tied up in an attempt to keep her cool. "But right now there's nothing we can do."

Rosette sighed, glancing around and pauseing. 'Do you two have any idea where we are?"

Both shook their heads.

Rosette sighed and turned to scout out through the bushes. Azmaria and Maru sat down and Azmaria scouted through her bag, pulling out a few slices of bread for them to share. "This is all we have," she reminded him. "So don't waste it."

Maru took her advice and ate a little bit. Piece by piece.

It was then they heard a shrill cry from the bushes, and both looked up. Rosette came running out, followed by several large monsters. They seemed to be made of rock, and terrorizing the young girl. Rosette flipped around, pulling out her guns and aiming. The monster was faster then her though, and smacked the guns from her hands, before kocking her back against a tree. Rosette fell to the ground, and didn't move.

Azmaria then sprung into action, pulling up her dirks. She ran at the moster, manaing to get one or two good hits in before the monster brutally attacked. Maru closed his eyes, hearing the sickening snap of bones, and Azmaria's weak cry. He then turned to look up at the monster as it aproched him.

Maru was terrified. So he did the one thing he knew how to in these situations.

He ran.

He must have been running for several hours, before finally he stopped. He was out of breath, and his mucles ached and burned in agony. But he was safe. He had to wonder though, were they? After a day, Maru wandered back over to the camp.

Azmaria and Rosette were both dead.

So, he burried them. It took a few days, but he manage to finish before he was attacked by any more monsters. It was a gruesome job, and he lost everything in his stomach several times. After he had finished burrying them, he grabbed his bow and arrows, the pack Azmaria had brought with them, and bowed his head in respect.

He tried not to cry. For them, but despite his best attempts, he found himself sobbing over their graves.

Then, he turned and left, wandering off to where he hoped to be home. "Foh..." he breathed, still sobbing. He turned to look up at the sky. It was a beautiful blue pallet without a cloud in sight. "I want to go home..."

Wipping his tears, he continued on. He wanted to go home. He wanted to be King and then everything would be all right.

He knew it wouldn't.

He couldn't go home now. He just couldn't. He was no longer Yumalnoh, Prince of Milmarna. He was Maru. King of nothing.

Gazing around at the forest, he smiled slightly.

No. He was Maru, King of the Forest. King of all the monsters.

One day, he would be Yumalnoh again. But for jnow, and for years to come. He was Maru.

King of Chaos Forest.


End file.
